Tuesday, November 20, 2012

say hello to the adorable elke!

We are immensely delighted that one of our incredible past participants (for two years in a row),Elke Bergeron, will be joining Makerieweekend as a teacher this year! Elke comes to us right from our own backyard of Boulder, but has spent 10 years working as a designer in the fashion industry in New York City. All of her designs are handmade, modern and fabulous and very much reflect her beautiful creative spirit. We love that she says, "the best part about what I do is that I get to play all day creating
things and there is no one telling me what ‘direction’ I should be
going in. Every found object takes on a new life and you never know
where it will lead you." This year, Elke will be teaching students how to make Modern Leather Accessorieswith everyday materials and we can assure you that participants will leave her workshops with some incredible pieces of their own!Get to know the adorable Elke below............................................................................What
is your favorite food obsession right now?

I
like being my own boss. I get to change my mind about product without anyone
telling me I'm going in the "wrong" direction. I truly get to make
what I love. I also can't imagine not making things by hand. It is so
satisfying to see the progress and differences when something is made
individually one at a time.

The
most challenging or difficult thing about what you do.

When
you make something by hand, there are so many details. Even in something that
may look so simple. Sometimes I have a hard time when I get to the end of a
project and I still have to put on the labels or something. I also have a
REALLY hard time with repetition and making the same thing over and over in the
same fabric. That is probably why I specialize in "One of a Kind"
& rarely make more than two in any given fabric/style.

______
is at the top of my inspiration library.

Vintage
stores!

Any
tricks for finding life balance?

Flexibility.
Each day for me can be a different schedule so I sort it out in the beginning
of the week and plan goals that need to be done by the end of the week. I try
to work as much as I can when the kids are in school and be available to my
family in the afternoons. If I keep that in mind I actually get quite a bit
done without feeling that I'm sacrificing any one thing to much. I also find
about an hour, early every morning to hike with the dog. That sets the right
tone for the rest of the day.

Any
trade secrets/words of wisdom you'd like to divulge?

Surround
yourself with encouraging, positive friends & partners. Life is too short
for pessimism. Anything is possible............................................................................Thanks Elke!